Thursday, November 27, 2008

LG is one of my favorite gadget companies. We have one of their phones and a laptop too. Now comes word from Choon Lee, VP of their Digital TV Research Lab that LG will release at least one 3D TV in 2009.

Lee stated at the Digital TV Technology centre in Seoul: "3D TVs are the next big step for (LG) - we will try with one or two markets in 2009... Over the next few years we will see lots more 3D"You've got that right Choon. Can't wait to get a 3D set up at home myself - the question is, what set up is best? When the time is right I will run down all the choices we will be able to make for 3D Home Theater. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

New 3D Driver is First to Support Broad Types of Stereoscopic 3D Displays and Includes Expanded Features

San Diego, Calif., November 24, 2008 -- iZ3D LLC, designer, developer and pioneer of advanced stereoscopic 3D visualization systems, announced the latest release of its popular stereoscopic 3D monitor driver today. The Version 1.09 Driver began shipping with iZ3D’s 22” widescreen 3D/2D switchable monitor in October and is now generally available at www.iz3d.com.

iZ3D has been publishing regular S-3D driver updates since its first driver release in 2006. Since then, iZ3D has become the defacto-standard for stereoscopic 3D drivers among gamers, display OEMs, and system hardware providers wanting to enable 3D gaming and entertainment.

“iZ3D is committed to bring S-3D to the mainstream. We recognized the importance of software drivers when developing our second generation display in 2006 and began releasing our own drivers with the introduction of the 22” monitor model,” stated Thomas Streigler, iZ3D’s CEO. “Since then, our software group has worked closely with customer beta testers to regularly update and improve our drivers and expand functionality to support a broad range of 3D outputs,” he added.

Expanded FeaturesThis is the first S-3D driver to feature a user-friendly interface, flexible per-game profile system, and compatibility with multiple popular dual output cards and 3D hardware. In addition to the iZ3D output, the new driver now also supports a variety of additional S-3D outputs enabling it to support a wide range of 3D viewing hardware.

Driver Price and AvailabilityThe Version 1.09 Driver is available at www.iz3d.com with a licensing fee of $49.99 per driver output. Customers that are buying iZ3D’s 22” 3D monitor get both the iZ3D and Anaglyph driver outputs included as part of their 3D kit.iZ3D also offers drivers for OpenGL Quad Buffer applications with a licensing fee of $99.99 to $499.99 and additional software applications for 3D movie and image viewing

The iZ3D SolutionThe iZ3D solution includes a widescreen monitor, viewing glasses, and software drivers. iZ3D developed this unique technology to create an adjustable viewing environment that delivers 3D without the eyestrain, spatial disorientation, or headaches commonly associated with other 3D approaches.

The 22-inch monitor, which is optimized for 3D viewing, can also be easily toggled into a 2D mode when required for productivity applications or email. In 3D mode, viewers see bright, sharp 3D images or video simply by installing the software driver and wearing any of eight iZ3D passive polarized glasses. New or existing PCs equipped with a dual-output video card easily power the display.

Specifications include:- 1680 x 1050 resolution

- Up to 170-degree 3D viewing angle

- 5ms response time

- 700:1 contrast ratio

- 16.7-million colors

- 300 nits

Most PC games released in the last five years, including many of the most popular multiplayer online, first person shooter, and role-playing games, have already been designed for 3D displays. iZ3D’s optimized driver unlocks the third (depth) dimension of these 3D-ready games to allow gamers to finally play them as they were written – in 3D.

Monitor Solution AvailabilityThe iZ3D 22-inch monitor is currently available at www.staples.com, www.criticalbuy.com, www.pcmall.com, www.amazon.com, www.newegg.com, www.iZ3D.com, and other online retailers.

###

About iZ3D, LLCiZ3D™ LLC is a leading innovator of 3D stereoscopic viewing display solutions. In addition to the design and marketing of 3D LCD displays, the company enables 3D content creation, and promotes the accelerated proliferation of 3D for entertainment and professional applications.

To present an uncompromised 3D experience, company’s development approach to 3D stereoscopic viewing includes optimizing solutions for gaming, home entertainment, and professional applications. Each solution is compatible with multiple graphics cards and includes iZ3D high-performance LCD displays, lightweight passive polarized glasses, and blazingly fast software.

The company is also developing next generation solutions and enabling content for home entertainment and professional applications needing 3D displays to view visually rich movies, photos, and 3-dimensional graphics with amazing depth, brightness, and resolution.

iZ3D was formed as joint venture of Taiwan-based Chi Mei Optoelectronics, a worldwide leader in TFT-LCD manufacturing and Neurok Optics LLC, a US-based 3D technology developer and marketing company. The company distributes its products directly at the iZ3D online store and through major online and retail outlets. Please visit www.iz3d.com or call 858.646.3015 for more information.

Jim here. It's happening very fast - Panasonic is jumping ahead of the crowd and moving for 3DHD standardization. Here is a quote from EngadgetHD:

"Just days after hearing that the HDMI specification could be updated to better handle stereoscopic 3D content, along comes word that Panasonic has submitted a proposal to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) for an official BD standard to store 3D imagery formed of "left / right-eye two-channel Full HD images." Panny reportedly made the move early in order avoid a format war, but really, it's just looking to cash in on royalties for the next decade five years or less. It's no secret that movie studios are dead set on moving forward with 3D production -- might as well be ready on the other end, right?"

Looks like a powerplay, but of course it was coming. Let's see what pans out - there are a lot of players in the market! The sooner we get 3DHD into our homes the better.

Awesome! Jim here. The NFL is again looking to 3D as an experimental option by the screening of a 3D NFL game to select theaters in LA, NYC and Boston - this time LIVE.

"The idea is a "proof of concept," says Howard Katz, NFL senior vice president of broadcasting and media operations. "We want to demonstrate this and let people get excited about it and see what the future holds."

"The several hundred guests at the three participating theaters Dec. 4 will include representatives from the NFL's broadcasting partners and from consumer-electronics companies. The event will be closed to the general public. Burbank, Calif.-based 3ality Digital LLC will shoot the game with special cameras and transmit it to a satellite. Thomson SA's Technicolor Digital Cinema is providing the satellite services and digital downlink to each theater, and Real D 3D Inc. will power the display in the theaters."

3ality filmed the 2004 Super Bowl in 3D and so it is nice to see them attached to the live event as well - the technology has improved a great deal in 4 years! Hopefully we will see live 3DHD sports and events in the home in a few years time. Football BEGS to be shown in 3D - it is a match made in heaven.

Jim here. It disappeared for awhile (old link was here) - but an intrepid reader of MarketSaw (thanks Mirza!) sent me the link so that we can watch the excellent conversation between James Cameron and Jon Landau at Microsoft Advance 08. They spoke there as they used Microsoft to co-develop an digital asset management system to track all of the components of their shots (blades of grass, vines, buildings, etc).

They talk mainly about AVATAR and the technology that they used for the project. It's about 50 minutes long. A few things of note:

1. They have 120 cameras surrounding their performance capture volume.2. Actors wore a headset similar to what Madonna wears for her concerts - but rather than a mike in front of her face, it is a camera - capturing all of their facial movements.3. Cameron used a virtual camera that he held with both hands and he was able to scan around the volume in realtime and have a crude CGI mockup display for him with the actors and backgrounds in place - buildings, mountains, jungle - you name it. Very powerful.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Jim here. A lot of excitement has been generated over the past few days about AVATAR and what is happening with this project. Security has been extremely tight, but that has never stopped us before right?

And so, I have been in contact with another source of mine (in a position to know) and he/she assures me of the following items:

1. The recent concept art from Jonay is not representative of what the Na'vi look like today and was his own work. Ok, fair enough - Jonay was clear about them being a way of getting a position with them and not the real deal. This also backs up this claim.2. The silhouette version of the female Na'vi and the zoomed in close up of the male Na'vi in this exclusive high resolution shot ARE real. We should expect the female Na'vi to be extremely attractive to most, but the males will be very sinister and dark.3. Ney'tiri herself will be exceptionally attractive and sexy.4.James Cameron WILL HAVE a a video teaser ready for early December and it will have visual effects and CGI! We are not certain if it will be shown before Day The Earth Stood Still (DTESS), but the actual footage portion will be 2 minutes and 15 seconds long. I am guessing that the additional time will be filled with perhaps Cameron talking about the project and how awesome it will be, or even past box office successes from Cameron - we all know that the teaser containers said 3 minutes and 57 seconds. Or we could actually see the full 3:57 - the big message here is that we should expect to see this teaser.I still am hazarding a guess for the 3D Summit in LA or a teaser trailer for DTESS.5. Weta is having a hard time pleasing Cameron on pieces of AVATAR. JC sometimes doesn't like what he sees (we know this already about him - he is a perfectionist) so Weta struggles at times with it. Not overly surprising, but still - Weta knows what they are doing!6.Cameron has a great marketing plan in mind - no one knows what it is yet though!7. The AVATAR footage that Jon Favreau saw was 90% pre visuals.

Interesting stuff! Nice to hear that the silhouette and high resolution zoom of the Na'vi is REAL. Many of you thought that Weta has borrowed something from KING KONG for the design of this sinister creature - you may be bang on. Apparently the Ney'tiri character will be a knock out and will be talked about a lot by guys everywhere! And how about seeing that teaser - he assures us that a large block of special effects and CGI has been readied for early December! Peculiar that he says that is only 2:15m, but hey lots of things could be put in to round it up to almost 4m. Man I hope it is revealed at the 3D Entertainment Summit, but it looks as though DTESS will be the vehicle to launch the first official teaser trailer based on the clip being ready in December.

I have asked some follow up questions and I will let you know more when I do... I hope this guy/gal continues to send us stuff, because the insight into AVATAR is amazing.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Jim here. The new Jonas Brothers 3D Concert movie poster is on the interwebs. Gotta say it looks a little lame - but maybe this is only the first of a few of them. Looks more like a high end luggage ad to me.

I was expecting a poster immersed in the actual concert footage - I think that would give a better idea of what was in store for them - unless there is a ton of behind the scenes storyline. Could be.

Has anybody heard if it will be just the concert or there is some 'reality' to it? Their lives must be pretty surreal to most 'tweens though.I hope the movie is a success, they seem like nice kids. Can't say I am into their music, but I will tap my feet to just about anything anyway!

Using U2 3D as my barometer, they have a long way to go to show me the goods on this movie - but I know technically it will be done EXTREMELY well. Vince Pace is involved. Vince is the co-inventor of the Pace/Cameron Fusion 3D camera system that is being used on AVATAR and many other projects. You can read more about PACE here.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Just got another email from Jonay - he states: "The images were created before anyone at costume department was hired... These pics were my passport, just to prove I could handle the job, they gave me freedom to create".

You now understand my motivation and how these images first appeared. BAH.

You may have recently seen posts related to concept art from Jonay Bacallado - I have received a couple of emails from this guy and here is his last one:

"I'm Jonay Bacallado, the author of the images. They are part of my artwork, my personal artwork, and it has nothing to do with the actual concept art of the film. The interview will be removed from www.plansiete.com as well, I've spoken about his incident with responsibles of the program, becuase information it's not accurate, and things can be misunderstood. Please, I have to ask you to remove this information, because the images shown are part of my own portfolio, no one has asked for authorisation, and of course,and most importantly, those designs have nothing to do with the real concepts and designs. I spoke during the interview about my experience, images were taken from my website, and they asume they are real concept art, but is not. Just to emphasise what I'm trying to explain mention that the design of characters have been done by another team, and we only get invlolved in costume, and as I said before, Avatar is far from this personal creation of mine included in my portfolio. This would get me into trouble, and without a reason, because this is NOT AVATAR CONCEPT ART. So please, people who follows Avatar news deserve to know that this concepts are FAKES, they are my creation, but have nothing to do with the work done in pre-production. Thank you, Jonay Bacallado."

Here are my comments:Firstly, from my point of view the video (Spanish?) showed Jonay being interviewed on television with supposed authorized images of his work as a concept artist. I mean, what network doesn't get permission before showing an interview? Isn't that part of the due diligence of a television network? It was from this video that the original images were screen captured (by myself and apparently IO9) and this whole commotion started. One would assume that an NDA expired or he has permission from Fox.

Secondly, he is clearly listed as an Illustrator and Costume Designer for AVATAR on his IMDB resume page. Clearly he had access or even designed for the movie so why would these images not be real or at least heavily influenced by them? They would be.

Thirdly, the images did not have any text on them saying that they are fake, representations, fanart, or anything of the sort. To the contrary, they had text on them saying "First Concept", etc. Hardly the terms used for fanart by someone actually working on the movie.

Lastly, I am at a loss as to why someone who worked on AVATAR with obvious access to the creatures therein, took it upon himself to create creatures that in no way represent anything to do with AVATAR, yet are clearly from AVATAR.

I think the situation stinks quite frankly. I think Fox forced him to contact everyone under threat of a lawsuit to state that they are fake. In my opinion, they are not fake, but early representations of the Na'vi. I will stand by that statement too. Sure the final creatures in AVATAR may look slightly different - heck maybe quite a bit different given that huge sinister behemoth discovered in our exclusive AVATAR set photo - but the point is they started out looking like what we had the opportunity to look at.

Frustrated? You bet. Disappointed that Fox can't get their act together to appease their would be audience with at least teasers - so that young aspiring illustrators and designers don't have to worry as much about making a mistake and get sued? You bet. Your target market is hungry for material - it's time. Really.

So we are back to hoping that their is teaser material at the 3D Entertainment Summit in LA in early December and/or in front of DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Great.

As far as Jonay is concerned I have no ill will toward him - he is just doing what he is told. I wish him Godspeed.

Yeah - what is this immaculate conception week? Yet another piece of concept art today, this time officially through The Weinstein Co. and Alexandre Aja for their 3D horror film PIRANHA 3D. The wonderful guys over at ShockTilYouDrop picked up this story.

Here is the movie's synopsis:

"What do they really eat?"

"You mean besides flesh and blood?"

A new type of terror is about to be cut lose on beautiful Lake Victoria. After a sudden underwater terror sets free scores of prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers, including hot local cop Julie Forester, must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents. But out heroine is seriously outnumbered, and with only one chance to save the lake and her family from totally being devoured, she must risk everything to destroy the aquatic carnivores herself.

Did I just read "hot local cop" just now? Just who are they targetting for this movie's demographic anyway? Well the concept art looks sufficiently fierce and if you multiple that fish by oh 100,000 then you get the real meaning behind this pic. Don't forget Aja's pledge of a brutal blood bath - if anyone is capable of delivering on that pledge - it's Aja.

Friday, November 21, 2008

**FINAL UPDATE Nov 22: Read what happened with these images here.** UPDATE Nov 22: I am removing this content at the request of the copyright holder. More details to follow.

Another one! Jim here with yet another awesome pencil drawing of a Na'vi riding some sort of beast - the animal is a mere outline though unfortunately! She definitely looks to be in a saddle of sorts though...

**UPDATE Nov 22: I am removing this content at the request of the copyright holder. More details to follow.

**SAME DAY UPDATE #2: * Check out thesefresh new images just in today!More from the same artist!**SAME DAY UPDATE:And here we go!! Thanks to Liam who left a comment pointing to this link for the video! It is in Spanish and has the actual concept artist being interviewed - here is his photo too! Hope he doesn't get into too much trouble - but hey, it's the Interwebs right??

Update (Friday night) -- I just got back from seeing BOLT, which is definitely Disney's best CG feature yet. It's hilarious and full of action and heart and should definitely be seen in 3-D. Anyway, I also saw this Ice Age 3 trailer in 3-D in front of Bolt, and it looked amazing--clear, smooth, and immersive. I really felt an inch away from Scrat's funny-looking snout as he sniffed around for that acorn. So all indications are that Fox is nailing the 3-D in Ice Age 3!

Hi everyone, Michael here with a brand new Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs trailer featuring everyone's favorite squirrel/rat hybrid, Scrat! And this time, Scrat may even have a love interest. But who will win Scrat's heart--The Acorn or the girl-squirrel?

Thursday, November 20, 2008

**SAME DAY UPDATE #2: Quote from my source:"The JC video showed him in his screening room editing Avatar. Sigourney Weaver could be seen (it was an intentional 3D c*ck tease, totally unfair - she was on the screen and you couldn't make anything else out) and it looked like he was cutting on final cut pro (perhaps at home?). He said the usual blah blah about 3D being great and him being a pioneer etc. I thought it was okay and a cool thing but in talking with the others, it seems most were disappointed."

Here is the big kick the rear: Jon Landau alluded to NOT SHOWING ANY AVATAR MATERIAL FOR 1 YEAR. That, my friends, brings us to the release of the movie - December 2009. What do you think - he is pulling or leg or what??

BAH.**SAME DAY UPDATE: Downer. Big time. NO AVATAR material at all. The video clip shown was a 3D Titanic test (that was impressive apparently) but again the much anticipated AVATAR material never surfaced. Unless there is a surprise unveiling later this week, all bets are now on the 3D Entertainment Summit for the AVATAR reveal (where Cameron is still on to be physically there). We hope. Jon Landau's presentation was excellent by the way. Overall, the buzz died down significantly after no AVATAR.

The 3DX event is still an outstanding venue let me point out! Awesome material and a wicked lineup of industry leaders definitely made it the place to be - and it still has more events to come.

According to my source, Jim Cameron will NOT make an appearance at the 3DX Festival in Singapore today but that he is sending in a video! Gee - I wonder if it is this one? Details are sketchy, but we should have a clearer picture very soon. In fact, Jon Landau is present at the show and is scheduled to present at 11:30am Singapore time. He can certainly talk to what is happening on the screen.

Here's hoping. Oh and security is tighter than John McCain's clenched fists. STAY TUNED for more details as I get 'em!

**SAME DAY UPDATE #2: Box Office Mojo just released their Theater counts and guess who comes out on top? BOLT has 3,651 and TWILIGHT has 3,419. Don't mess with the mouse...

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Peter over at /Film has TWILIGHT collecting $64m+ with BOLT coming in at $40m - but I think a lot of people are forgetting the power of 3D. Look at what Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus voices Penny in Bolt) did with her concert last winter! Could be some heads shaking after all that turkey...

Hey guys - Jim here. You know, there has been a flood of viral word of mouth for Twilight and justifiably so based on the literary achievements of the best selling books. There is a certain female demographic that has pushed this movie to the edge with advanced ticket sales and "must see" status.

But I am thinking that it won't be enough. Sure, that is a strong demographic but so is Disney and it's traditional November family movies. Top that off with the 'tween factor of Miley Cyrus and what looks to be an outstanding work of animation from John Lasseter (the brains behind Pixar) and crew - look out.

This weekend will be very exciting to see who comes out on top! Of course I am vying for the 3D masterpiece to bring home the spoils and I am biasedslightly- but I feel very comfortable in predicting that BOLT will shock a lot of TWILIGHT fans this weekend in relegating them to second place.

So how do you feel? Will BOLT light up TWILIGHT this weekend? Don't forget to vote in our poll on the left hand column!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Jim here. To be frank, any future tentpole from Disney could be 3D. We know all of their animated features will be 3D (both Disney AND Pixar) and so it is easy to speculate that since Disney is 3D empowered lately (BOLT is opening this weekend and Hannah Montana led the way earlier this year), why not start guessing about their leading franchises?

Like PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Variety speculates that an announcement could happen very soon - well, there is certainly opportunity with 2 major 3D conferences going on within the next couple of weeks 3DX in Singapore (on NOW) and the 3D Entertainment Summit in LA on December 1-2. Expect a LOT of noise from these events!

We know the 3D trailer for Disney's TR2N was shown at the 3DX Festival in Singapore and it absolutely rocked the house. Of course when they start whipping out their classics like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST for 3D conversion, you know the time has come.

Jim here. Want to see more Coraline production video clips? (Others are available here). These new ones look great too - I can't believe the attention to detail that they are putting into this movie! Here's what you do:

1. Go to www.Coraline.com2. Enter in one of these codes (each has a different video clip):BUTTONEYESSTOPMOTION3. Enjoy!

Coraline is a stereoscopic 3D stop motion movie adapted from a very popular Neil Gaiman story - directed by Henry Selick who also is famous for A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

Michael here. Disney Pictures president Mark Zoradi announced yesterday at the 3DX Festival in Singapore that Beauty and the Beast will be remastered into 3-D over a 10 month period by Walt Disney Pictures Animation for a 2010 release.

Original Beauty and the Beast producer Don Hahn said the re-rendering of the film would take 9 months. He described the process as follows:

"By going back to the original animation files, which have been carefully archived for 17 years, and using the separate background, effects and character animation elements, we're able to come up with a fun and unique 3-D experience for existing and new fans of the film"

Beauty and the Beast is the 11th 3-D feature film that Disney is set to release in 2009-2010.

Michael here with a new poster for Fox's July 1 third installment in the, in my opinion, greatly entertaining Ice Age franchise.

I'm very interested to see how Fox's animated 3-D efforts compare to those of Dreamworks and Pixar, both of which also have their first from-the-ground-up 3-D films (Monsters Vs. Aliens and UP, respectively) releasing in 2009. The 3-D flood is almost upon us! Or was that the last Ice Age movie?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The 3DX conference has opened in Singapore but unfortunately Christopher Lloyd will not be appearing as he is attending to personal matters at home. If you have not heard already, Lloyd lost his house to the fires in Montecito.

However his movie CALL OF THE WILD will still have it's world premiere this Friday, Nov 21st at Vivo City's Golden Village Cinema at the 3DX Film Festival in Singapore. Producer Rich Iott, Director Richard Gabai and Stereographer Jason Goodman will be in attendance.

Jim here. I recently spoke with Neil Feldman from In-Three (mainly about the "Alice In Wonderland" post found here) - Neil specializes in 2D to 3D conversions and had some interesting comments on G-FORCE.

He confirmed with me that In-Three is busy working with Disney and Sony ImageWorks in creating G-FORCE which is slated for release on July 24th, 2009. Neil stated: "G-Force is an excellent example of a "hybrid" project. That is, it combines live action footage (real actors) interacting with CGI (computer generated) characters. All the live action footage was shot single camera - 2D. We are Dimensionalizing all that footage. Sony ImageWorks is responsible for all the CGI work. However, we are also Dimensionalizing some of their material as well."

I had no idea.Perhaps 2D-3D conversions of new 3D movies is a bit more prevalent that I had imagined in Hollywood!

G-FORCE is a live action / animation blend and is being voiced by Penelope Cruz, Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi, Bill Nighy and Tracy Morgan. The storyline is about an elite guinea pig commando force trying to stop a billionaire from taking over the world.

Time will tell the tale on these movies. I wish them the best as always.

**SAME DAY UPDATE: I just heard from Neil Feldman of In-Three (2D-3D Conversion Specialists) - I knew I would as he is very passionate about his work and justifiably so. Neil argues that when you convert 2D to 3D in post, you have "much more latitude in creating the very highest quality 3D experience" because they "have complete control in the post process".

That may be so, but someone like James Cameron would argue that if you shoot correctly you have infinite control in real-time - 360 degree options, ability to change lenses and zoom in and out using volumes and such. That is invaluable as the post process becomes as important as shooting because you can still envision and create a movie long after the actors have gone home.

Neil does make some great points in relation to conversions advantages: "Too much time setting up shots on location. Too much hassle to learn new tricks. Too much worry that when you go into post the scenes will not work together." and on cost: "Depends on the nature of the content. Generally it is within the same cost or slightly cheaper. It is definitely cheaper if there are lots of special effects or difficult setups on location. Anyway, we advocate a hybrid approach for those who are traditionalists. That is, go ahead and shoot dual camera but then Dimensionalize and/or fix those shots/edits that don't work."

Now of course Neil has some natural biases towards 2D-3D conversion, but even he recognizes that "real-time" directing of a 3D movie is an advantage lost.

Hey. I am ready to be wowed as I have said before. Let Burton and Disney wow me with post production magic and I will be the first to post that it worked. Until then, I need convincing.EXCLUSIVE:

Jim here. Well this is a surprise to say the least! I knew it was strange that in the original ALICE IN WONDERLAND set photos that came up from England during the early days of shooting (here, here and here) there were NO cameras set up in 3D configuration - just standard 2D setups. But I assumed that the shooting was preliminary and was merely being used to set the stage as it were for the stereographic professionals to take over.

Wrong. I just got word from a source in a position to know (first time source - but seems very trustworthy) that Tim Burton is NOT shooting AIW in 3D at all. Period. They intend on converting to 2D movie to 3D after the fact in post production!

Visual example: The top image shows a Panavision 35mm Camera with a Remote Wide Angle Lens on a robotic arm. No stereoscopic attachments.

Now that news lends itself to a number of issues: Will the final result be inferiorto a classically shot end to end 3D production? Will the 2D material seem flatter than the 3D CGI that is being created for backgrounds and Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter - even with post production? Why are they shooting it this way - Does Tim Burton have cold feet when it comes to 3D cinematography? Does Disney have something up their sleeve in this post production process that we have not seen yet? Disney obviously have an immense library of 2D movies that could be converted to 3D - it makes sense that they may have been working on proprietary technology to enable such mass conversions. Perhaps they have mastered it - perhaps even surpassed expectations and have surprises waiting for us that we have never seen before?

Either way, this is a surprise. I am taken aback by it and until I hear or see differently from the production itself, I will be skeptical. I was looking forward to a pristine 3D production from Tim Burton and company - not a conversion. I am completely open to be wowed by what they are doing, but I cannot say I am not disappointed at this stage. Look - I am a fan of 2D to 3D conversions, 100%. But currently I view the technology as best used for converting the massive amount of 2D movies sitting under utilized in vaults and not necessarily for new movies. What is the motivation here?

I sincerely hope they pull it off though. The talent they have amassed is astounding and there is absolutely no reason why they shouldn't have a huge box office hit on their hands. Other than it not being a native 3D production that is.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Guys - Jim here. I have to say this looks fake to me. Sorry - but from what I have heard, Depp's character is CGI all the way. If that wasn't the case, I might be buying this look.

Besides, even if it was still CGI and he was merely in character for the shooting, he would be rigged up with performance capture "dots" (reflective points of reference for capturing his movements and expressions). So I say don't drink this potion this time around.

But hey, what if it is authentic? Looks sufficiently weird enough right? This COULD be from the desk of someone working with the raw perfcap data and creating the final work... Hmmm... Given enough time I could convince myself it is real... :-)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

**UPDATE: Nov 17 - Michael here - The pics were taken on an iPhone on 11-16-08, according to the EXIF data. If they had been edited in photoshop, I do not think the device info would still come up as originating from an iPhone.**SAME DAY UPDATE: Images came from a user named b33555x on IMDB who happened upon them on the Internet. No word where he found them.

Jim here guys. This could be what we are waiting for, or it could be completely bogus! I have no idea at this moment but I am on the horn to everyone I know to verify if this is authentic. A dedicated reader of MarketSaw (thanks Darkoo) sent me these images but is uncertain of the origin on the Internet.

If it IS authentic, then we have AVATAR teaser material and it looks to be a substantial amount - 3 minutes and 57 seconds worth! Makes me think it is a sequence from the movie itself rather than a trailer! Now that makes sense too as a trailer would probably draw upon the entire movie itself and it is not nearly complete yet. But segments are probably complete!

My best guess is this teaser will be shown at the 3D Entertainment Summit in LA (Dec 1-2) or at the 3DX Festival in Singapore (Nov 19-23) (or both). Cameron is talking at BOTH. Not sure what movie (if any) this would be shown ahead of short term - still believe the first official trailer for AVATAR will be shown before ICE AGE3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS on July 1st, 2009.

Of course the bare film in the pics are not digital as, well a digital distribution would via Internet or hard drive.

What do you guys think? To me it seems a little concocted with having the bare film reels sitting beside the canisters, but hey, maybe this spy has VERY inside access to this stuff! Let's put it this way: I WANT to believe. And there is opportunity coming up very soon for Cameron to unleash this upon us...

Friday, November 14, 2008

Jim here. Now this is a great idea, 3D on ships - and not only 3D but Disney is kicking it up a notch... Sure, they will have 3D movies screening on board, but they are adding a bit of magic kingdom - in theater effects like lasers, fog, streamers and lighting effects! Many people refer to this type of theater as 4D - Disney plans on showing 4D on only one day of any particular cruise, but regular 3D on remaining days.

But will the idea float? Will it hold water? Of course! Think Disney doesn't know it's stuff? :-)

Disney will launch the 3D theaters on November 21st (Ummm... BOLT anyone?) for the Disney Wonder and December 6th for the Disney Magic.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Jim here. I have been following the RED digital cameras and their outrageous development path VERY closely since I started MarketSaw. Not only are they delivering the goods, but they are keeping those prices crazy low. They have no business charging so little for their obviously superior R&D efforts - but they are. Hats off to them.

NOW THEY ARE GOING 3D. Yep. Now, I am not totally surprised by this move as I know there have been 3D projects already shot with the RED-ONE's (Thomas Jane's THE DARK COUNTRY for one), but to see plans for dedicated 3D setups this early is amazing!

I want you to drop whatever it is you are doing and go check out these cameras. Not only are they now going after markets from Digital 3K @ 120 frames per second (Scarlet) to the 4K RED-ONE (30 fps - available now) all the way to *GULP* the Epic Monstro 28K (261 megapixels) @ 25 fps. YES, I SAID 28K. Can you believe that?

If you are a film maker - heck even a family video aficionado, then look no farther than RED. I am totally on board with this innovative company and the rapid changes they are bringing about in the industry!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Jim here. You all know Joe Dante's work (Gremlins, The Howling, Innerspace, Piranha) and I brought you up to speed on his latest project that takes him back to his horror roots, THE HOLE. (Read the storyline if you haven't already). Personally, I think the darkness plays especially well for 3D and the suspense could be off the charts for this one if I know Dante well enough.

Movie starts to shoot in December now, rather than this month in Vancouver, BC with a budget of $15m.

Dante told Screen Daily: "I've made a lot of horror movies but generally don't find much of interest in them because the material doesn't appeal to me," Dante says as he prepares to begin production in Vancouver in December. "This was different: it's essentially a family-oriented story and I found the quality of the writing and characters to be above average."

When he read the script forThe Hole, a lightbulb clicked on inside his head. "3D seems to be in the news again due to the peripatetic efforts of Jeffrey Katzenberg, so I thought this might be the time to do a 3D movie."

Monday, November 10, 2008

Rumors are persisting that Paul McCartney will lend his voice for either one of the characters of Dreamworks Animation's SHREK 4 and/or also pen some of the score. Apparently his daughter Beatrice is a huge fan of the franchise.

A source of The Sun newspaper of London elaborated:"The Shrek films have a proud tradition of getting great names and Macca is the best yet."

A source also told the Daily Express: "Paul has been discussing working on the next 'Shrek.' 'Live And Let Die' was sung in the last movie at Shrek's father-in-law's funeral and was one of the funniest moments.

"Producers want Paul to compose some songs for the next one. He could briefly even be a character. There have been meetings and he's very keen because his daughter is a fan."

Would love to have Macca in this thing. Nothing can motivate you like your own child! Shrek 4 is slated for a May 2010 release in stereoscopic 3D.

Now this looks pretty cool. I prefer the elegance of a 3D solution that does not use any "hardware" at all on the 3D image itself so that you can interact with it however. With this particular solution, while stunning, you cannot put your hand into the box as there is a rapidly spinning mirror within that bounces the various images back to your eyes at any angle.

Have a look. It's very interesting, but I am still partial to the tactile response 3D imagery found here.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Brian Yuzna, maker of such movies as RE-ANIMATOR and DAGON will produce three thriller 3D movies under his production company Komodo Film in Indonesia. The post production and 3D work will be completed in Singapore.

The three films are:1. AMPHIBIOUS - Focuses on a giant sea scorpion with shooting to start on Batam Island in March.2. NECRONAUTS - A "journey into the realm of death". Brett Leonard to direct (LAWNMOWER MAN, VIRTUOSITY).3. COLD BLOODED - Man eating komodo dragons threaten stranded vacationers on an island.

It's great to see Brian taking on 3D projects and also the level at which Singapore is engaged in the 3D industry: They are also hosting the3DX Festivalfrom the 19th to the 23rd this month.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Jim here - wow a lot of action today with previews for upcoming 3D projects! This time around it is from Disney:

First is UP - a tale of an old man traveling via balloons in his HOUSE. "In this 'coming of old age' story, a seventy-something hero, alongside his clueless wilderness ranger sidekick, travels the globe, fighting beasts and villains, and eating dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon."A boy scout tags along... :-)

Have a look!

Second - have a look at the 'B' Trailer for BOLT:"An animated comedy adventure featuring a super-dog named Bolt (voice of John Travolta), whose days are filled with danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of Mark Walton)—Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero..."

It brings me a great deal of satisfaction to finally start to see these 3D projects come to light. Seriously, it has been a bit of a long haul to date and now the trailers are starting to roll in and I couldn't be happier. Kinda giddy even! Cheers and enjoy.

WIRED has a new short featurette showing some of the action behind making the 3D movie from Dreamworks Animation. Too bad it is not a longer piece, but you can start to get a flavor for all the work that is going into this project!

Jim here. Comingsoon.net has scored a look at the first STEP UP 3D Poster - and proceeded to watermark it. So I chopped off the watermark as it is not my style and presented it here for you. If however, you want the full length of the sheet and don't mind their name plastered over it, check it out here.

Looks like the same formula if you ask me, but with the awesome addition of 3D. Of course you can see in the background that New York and Paris play some kind of role in the movie.

No date is set for the release of STEP UP 3D.

I have said it before, I am giving full kudos because it is taking a first shot at a new genre in 3D. I really do hope they pull this off and put on a stunning show!

Guys - Jim here. Interesting site called Snapily.com has come on stream and can take your normal 2D photos and make truly magical things happen. It is the natural progression of the technology used to make those 3D movie posters that can store up to something like 10 seconds of action when you walk by them. Only this tech limits you to 2 seconds. Tons of other cool applications though, like morphing faces and having a 3D foreground with a moving background.

Hey guys - Jim here. Well no biggie here really, and a no-brainer. IMAX and Fox have announced that AVATAR will be playing in the IMAX 3D locales at the same time as the wide release 3D venues (RealD, Dolby, etc). This was to be expected - every 3D screen counts!

It will be great to see it on different screens too as I will undoubtedly be seeing the darn thing about a dozen times in theater. Seriously.

"Our goal with 'Avatar' is to revolutionize live-action 3D moviemaking, and I have no doubt that it will look and sound incredible in IMAX 3D," said director James Cameron. "The larger field of view and powerful surround sound of an IMAX® theatre will completely immerse the audience in a way that cannot be experienced anywhere else."

"We are delighted to be releasing 'Avatar' in all available theatrical formats, and by including the premium IMAX 3D format, we can give consumers the entire spectrum of choice at the box office," said Bruce Snyder, President, Domestic Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox. "The IMAX theatre network is increasingly becoming an important part of our distribution strategy, as it continues to expand with its new digital projection system."

"'Avatar' is one of the most anticipated movies of 2009 and it is a powerful addition to our film slate," said IMAX Co-CEO's Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "We are particularly pleased with Twentieth Century Fox's increasing interest in the IMAX theatre network, which is largely fueled by the rollout of our digital projection systems and IMAX's track record of strong box office performance."

"James Cameron is a genius filmmaker. His vision and 3D expertise make 'Avatar' a natural fit for IMAX and we believe it will resonate with our audiences as well as the millions of James Cameron fans across the globe," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "Every aspect of this film was meticulously designed for 3D, so when audiences experience this revolutionary film in an IMAX 3D theatre, they will feel as if they are actually IN the movie.

Good to see these things being laid to rest, but I knew it was coming - absolutely. No doubt.

Jim here. I just got off the phone with Norman Twain, Producer of SCAR 3D and he sent me some new international posters and I thought it would be cool to show how the movie is being marketed around the world. Included is a first look at the poster for Greece (left).

I am surprised that a North American distributor has not signed on yet! This movie is going to do some serious business on 3D screens if the timing is correct - and by that, I mean the sooner the better. 2009 has got a bucket load of 3D movies on tap and timing will be an issue to ensure a proper window of opportunity for the graphic torture film.

According to my records, there are a couple of good spots still in the calendar for it:May 1st (or the 8th if MONSTERS VS. ALIENS is still cleaning up) or June 5th (July 1st is ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS) - and that's it really. There may be opportunity to split 3D screens with another movie like PLANET 51 (November 20th) as the number of 3D venues will have dramatically improved by then. There is obviously a hard stop on December 18th for James Cameron's AVATAR though.

So - distributors! Once you see how well MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D and FINAL DESTINATION 4 perform in 2009, it may very well be too late as someone else has swooped in and grabbed the rights to SCAR 3D. Pick it up and secure that release date so we can all squirm in 3D once more. Seems like a helluva opportunity to me.

SCAR 3D opened number 1 in Russia and the UK opening will be interesting to watch tomorrow!